Chapter 5
By midnight, the rain outside had turned into a gentle mist. The master guest suite on the second floor was warm and bright, decorated with plush cream carpets, a king-sized bed, and tall windows overlooking the estate's private gardens.
Little Ellie was fast asleep under a heavy duvet, her pastel dress replaced by soft cotton pajamas. Her one-eyed teddy bear was tucked neatly under her small arm, and her two gold coins sat safely on the nightstand beside her bed.
Clara sat on the edge of the bed, wearing a simple cardigan over her maid uniform, gazing at her sleeping daughter. For the first time in years, her shoulders were relaxed. The constant knot of fear in her stomach had finally loosened.
A soft knock sounded at the open door.
Vincent stood in the entryway, having removed his black suit jacket. He wore only his black dress shirt with the top buttons undone, his dark tattoos visible beneath his collar. He held a silver tray with a warm glass of milk and a cup of tea.
"Is she sleeping?" Vincent asked quietly, stepping into the room.
"Yes, Mr. Moretti," Clara said, standing up quickly. "Thank you... thank you for everything."
"Sit down, Clara," Vincent said gently, setting the tray on the coffee table. He sat in the velvet armchair across from her. "And stop calling me Mr. Moretti. In this house, you are safe."
Clara sat back down, taking the warm cup of tea into her hands. "Did you look at the drive?"
Vincent nodded, his handsome face darkening slightly. "It contained five years of transaction logs. Dante wasn't just working with the Falcones. He was selling them our shipping routes in exchange for offshore accounts in the Cayman Islands. He killed Marco because Marco caught him transferring the funds."
Clara pressed her lips together, tears welling in her eyes again. "Marco died trying to protect you."
"And I failed to protect his family," Vincent said, his voice thick with raw emotion. He looked straight into Clara's brown eyes. "That ends tonight. Tomorrow, the syndicate elders assemble. Dante will answer for every crime."
Suddenly, little Ellie stirred in her sleep. She opened her big brown eyes, rubbed her face, and sat up in bed, clutching her bear.
She looked at Vincent sitting in the chair, then looked at her two gold coins on the nightstand.
"Mr. Vincent?" Ellie called out softly.
Vincent immediately stood up, walking over to the side of her bed and lowering his large frame so he was at eye level with her. "Yes, little one?"
May you like
Ellie picked up the third gold coin from her dress pocket—the one she had been holding onto all night. She held it out to Vincent in her tiny palm.
"I have my third wish," Ellie whispered.
